Eating the right types of food can help you recover quicker post-exercise, while also supporting your muscle growth and minimizing post-workout soreness.

To help fuel your body the right way, we put together a few food suggestions for you to try the next time you work out.

What to Eat After a Workout

Regular exercise is important for your overall health and well-being. The foods you consume after you work out are just as important. That’s because whenever you do an intense workout, your body — specifically your muscles — undergo some changes. For example, your muscles will use up their glycogen energy stores and some of your muscle proteins will be damaged.

This is why it’s important to consume a meal within 45 minutes after you work out to replenish and refuel your body. Instead of gorging on empty calories, focus on foods that are nutrient-packed and easy to digest.

These are some of the best types of foods to eat soon after your workout:

• Peanut butter
• Greek yogurt
• Eggs
• Fruit
• Whole grains (bread, cereal, etc.)
• Milk or a protein shake
• Nuts
• Healthy oils (coconut, avocado, etc.)

Important Post-Workout Nutrients

The foods on the list we just shared are important because they contain some of the post-workout nutrients you need to rebuild your glycogen stores and help your muscles repair damaged proteins. This in turn will help you enhance your overall performance and recovery and minimize muscle soreness.

The key nutrients you want to focus on are:

• Carbohydrates
• Protein
• Fat

By consuming a post-workout meal rich in healthy carbohydrates, protein and fat, you’ll be providing your body with the nutrients it needs to build new muscle tissue and increase your muscle growth. Protein specifically provides your body with amino acids, which are the building blocks needed to rebuild new muscles. Similarly, carbohydrates and fat will replace your muscle glycogen.

The Perfect After-Workout Nourishment

After your workout, it’s also important to sufficiently rehydrate. An intense, sweaty workout can easily lead to dehydration. Dehydration doesn’t just lead to fluid loss and affect your performance — severe dehydration can be dangerous.

To rehydrate and recover, many athletes turn to IV vitamins. With IV therapy, you can provide your body with key vitamins and nutrients in a short amount of time.

In fact, here at Rocky Mountain IV Medics, we’ve designed an IV specifically for athletes. The saline solution is designed to rehydrate your body as well as alleviate any symptoms of dehydration that you may be experiencing, such as muscle cramps, dizziness and headaches.

Order a Nutrient-Packed IV Drip From Rocky Mountain IV Medics Today

Our team of experienced paramedics at Rocky Mountain IV Medics serves a 20-mile radius around Denver, Colorado. Whether you are at your hotel gym, home or community pool, when you call us, we’ll send a paramedic out in one hour or less. They will evaluate your needs and symptoms and make an individualized IV recommendation for you.

Contact us today to schedule your appointment and receive the IV vitamins you need to rehydrate and recover after your workout.